African U-17 qualifiers

First leg
August 29-31
Sudan v Rwanda

Rwanda’s U-17 national football team has started residential training ahead of the first round of the 8th African U-17 Championship qualifier against Sudan set for August in Khartoum.

The provisional 25-man squad which was named by the local football body, Ferwafa last week is camping at Heroes Corner hotel, Remera takes to daily double training session at Ferwafa’s artificial turf.

Missing in the squad is APR pair of Jean Marie Vianney Rukundo and Hegman Ngoma and Rayon Sport striker Jamal Mwiseneza whose clubs are taking in the Cecafa/Kagame Cup championship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Meanwhile, Epaphrodite Nsabiyeze (Atraco junior), who is the only player from the junior ranks on the squad has vowed to do whatever it takes to catch the coach’s eye for a place on the final 18-man team which play against Sudan.

Nsabiyeze has developed his career by regular training with the Atraco senior squad coached by ex-APR coach Jean Marie Ntagwabira.

The 16-year-old’s talents has not only earned him the national U-17 but could even force U-20 coach Tomislav Obradovic to summon him for next year’s African Youth championship due in Rwanda next year.

After announcing the provisional squad, the U-17 head coach Michael Weiss said that the early camping is meant to give him and his staff enough time to prepare a strong team capable of overcoming Sudan in the first leg due in Khartoum as well as the second leg due in Kigali a fortnight after.

The German-born international tactician guided the youngsters to their major victory in the continental championship in April when they knocked out Kenya 4-2 on goals aggregates to draw Sudan who got a bye into the first round.

The junior side will trek Khartoum next month after rounding up their preparations with trial tests against the U-20 and different local clubs.

Twenty-eight teams will be involved in action as the race for the selection of seven teams to join hosts Algeria begins.

Algeria by virtue of being hosts has qualified automatically as hosts but the likes of Kenya, RD Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ghana , South Africa , Gabon , Burkina Faso , Eritrea , Mali , Côte d’Ivoire , Zimbabwe , Senegal , Zambia , Sudan , Angola , Cameroon , Gambia , Guinea , Benin , Botswana and Libya among others will be making a claim for the seven slots starting next month.

Rwanda U-17 squad;

Goalkeepers;Emery Mvuyekure (Electrogaz), Patrick Rutayisire (AS Kigali), Gerald Dushimimana and Danny Nduwayo.

Defenders;
James Tumaine(Marines),Amani Uwiringiyimana(Police),Claude Iyamuremye(Etincelles),Annual Kibaya(AS Kigali),Hamdan Bariyanga(Etincelles),Christian Twahirwa(AS Kigali),Guard Niyinshuti(Muhanga) and Hussein Kamaro(Jeunesse).

Midfielders
Jean Claude Iranzi (Kiyovu), Michael Hitimana (APR),Abdulkarim Gashugi(Mukura), J. D’amour Uwimana (Jeunesse), Epaphrodite Nsabiyeze (Atraco junior),Emmanuel Habinshuti (Kiyovu), Ismail Habinshuti (Etincelles),Eric Ndahayo (Marines) and Jacques Tuyisenge (Etincelles).

Strikers
Ernest Kwizera (Kiyovu), Christian Uwumukiza (Military), Emmanuel Sebanani (Musanze) and Frank Habumuremyi (Muhanga).

Ends